d necessity to bring the greater
part of created things to perfection, and thus and after this manner in
the beginning, when the influence of reason got the better of necessity,
the universe was created. But if a person will truly tell of the way in
which the work was accomplished, he must include the other influence
of the variable cause as well. Wherefore, we must return again and find
another suitable beginning, as about the former matters, so also about
these. To which end we must consider the nature of fire, and water, and
air, and earth, such as they were prior to the creation of the heaven,
and what was happening to them in this previous state; for no one has as
yet explained the manner of their generation, but we speak of fire and
the rest of them, whatever they mean, as though men knew their natures,
and we maintain them to be the first principles and letters or elements
of the whole, when they cannot reasonably be compared by a man of any
sense even to syllables or first compounds. And let me say thus much: I
will not now speak of the first principle or principles of all things,
or by whatever name they are to be called, for this reason--because
it is difficult to set forth my opinion according to the method of
discussion which we are at present employing. Do not imagine, any
more than I can bring myself to imagine, that I should be right in
undertaking so great and difficult a task. Remembering what I said
at first about probability, I will do my best to give as probable an
explanation as any other--or rather, more probable; and I will first go
back to the beginning and try to speak of each thing and of all. Once
more, then, at the commencement of my discourse, I call upon God, and
beg him to be our saviour out of a strange and unwonted enquiry, and to
bring us to the haven of probability. So now let us begin again.

This new beginning of our discussion of the universe requires a fuller
division than the former; for then we made two classes, now a third must
be revealed. The two sufficed for the former discussion: one, which we
assumed, was a pattern intelligible and always the same; and the second
was only the imitation of the pattern, generated and visible. There is
also a third kind which we did not distinguish at the time, conceiving
that the two would be enough. But now the argument seems to require
that we should set forth in words another kind, which is difficult of
explanation and dimly seen. What natu